Activist told to submit proof of alleged ‘violations’ in Shah Rukh’s Mannat renovation

NGT asks activist for evidence of violations in Shah Rukh Khan's mansion renovation, alleging illegal construction and fraud.

The National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) Western Zone Bench, Pune, has asked Mumbai-based activist Santosh Daundkar to submit evidence of the alleged violations in plans to add two more floors to Shah Rukh Khan’s six-storey mansion, Mannat. The NGT also asked Mr. Daundkar to prove his allegations against the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority, (MCZMA) within four weeks, or his appeal would be dismissed. Mr. Daundkar alleged that the MCZMA erred in allowing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the renovation of the actor’s sea facing home in Bandra.

“If any violation of the above procedure has been committed by the Project Proponent or the MCZMA, the same may be submitted by the appellant specifically along with the evidence in support of that, within four weeks, failing which we would be left with no option but to dismiss the present appeal for non-compliance of the order of this tribunal, at the stage of admission itself,” judicial member Dinesh Kumar Singh and expert member Vijay Kulkarni said in the order.

Mr. Daundkar, in his appeal alleged that the actor demolished two heritage structures from 2000 to 2006 without taking mandatory prior environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The appeal has also questioned the legality of the CRZ clearance granted for the actor’s plan to add two additional floors to the existing six-storey mansion.

“The entire plot under reference was reserved for an art gallery in the statutory Development Plan, which has been deleted without the MCZMA’s permission, which is mandatory. The Project Proponent built a ground + 6-storied building without mandatory permission from the MCZMA. Since the cost of the project was more than ₹5 crores, prior environmental clearance was required from the MoEF&CC,” Mr. Daundkar argued. 

The Project Proponent has committed fraud in constructing a basement 6 metres below ground level, thereby extracting substantial minor minerals and ground water, which activities are prohibited in all the 3 Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications, he added.

Mr. Daundkar also alleged that the Project Proponent perpetrated a fraud, constructing 12 1-bedroom-hall-kitchen flats for mass housing and merging them all later into a super luxury single-family accommodation, in violation of provisions of the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976.

“Heritage Areas lie in the CRZ-I as per the CRZ Notification of 1991, therefore, the impugned construction, which was completed in the year 2004, could not have been permitted in CRZ-I area, and the Project Proponent got the art gallery reservation removed illegally,” he argued.